title: Growth autonomy and tumorigenicity of interleukin 6-dependent B cells transfected with interleukin 6 cDNA.
abstract: We introduced an IL-6 cDNA expression vector into a murine B cell line, the growth of which definitely required the presence of exogenous IL-6. The transfected cells secreted substantial amounts of IL-6, to which they themselves responded by proliferating without further requirement of exogenous IL-6. The proliferation was a direct function of cell density and was inhibitable by antibodies to IL-6, indicating the autocrine nature of the growth. The IL-6 cDNA-transfected cells displayed greatly enhanced tumorigenicity when inoculated into syngeneic and nude mice. Our data suggest that an IL-6 autocrine self stimulation confers on B cells a selective growth advantage and results in the induction of progression of the malignant state of B cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tohyama
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karasuyama
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tada
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D002455:Cell Division; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004247:DNA